Louis Leeson’s contribution to Despite The Illusion is his series - The Land of 8000 Vintages. Currently living in London, Louis focus within photography is documentary. Choosing to document the seaside trade of the Black Sea resorts in Georgia, Louis has captured the holiday trade visiting the small caucasian country.

Hit the jump to check out the rest of Louis Leeson’s work.

The holiday trade in Georgia is big business, with 1.7 million foreigners visiting last year, amounting to over $50 billion to the Georgian economy. The vast majority of people visiting are middle class Russians who are only outnumbered by the Turkish. A very poignant part of the holiday trade here is the attraction from caucasians from neighbouring countries living under varying degrees of Shariah Law.

The holiday trade in Georgia doesn't seem too far off of the British attraction to the sea side, albeit a dwindling trade in the UK, some of these images feel as if they could have been taken in the UK. The British are no strangers to traveling from afar, to bask on a shingle beach under an overcast sky. In a less than glamorous holiday, people flock to these places to make the most of their holiday. A cultural parallel you can’t help but draw.

The Georgians love fair ground rides with some dating back to the communist period. With a vast history of holiday trade the Georgians can’t help but feel the loss of custom, this has been brought by the increasing number of casinos and wine drinking resorts.

Louis has a broad range of photographic work alongside a broad range of clients, currently covering the Ebola crisis for Save The Children.